© 2006-2017 Kasturi & Sons Ltd. -vijay kumar [email protected] - EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
CHENNAI THE HINDU 8 EDITORIAL MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Reading the tea leaves The emerging India-Japan alignment sets the stage for the reordering of the Asian strategic landscape Nuclear Suppliers Group last year, memorandum on enhancing de- ensuring that no language relating fence and technology/security co- to Pakistan-based terrorist groups operation was signed and talks on Time for caution found mention in the BRICS sum- acquiring the amphibious mari- mit in Goa and preventing the in- time surveillance ShinMaywa US-2i As the world looks to end the era clusion of Masood Azhar from be- began in 2013. Trilateral dialogue of easy money, India must be prepared rakesh sood ing designated as a terrorist by the involving both the U.S. and Japan UN Security Council by exercising and covering strategic issues was ndia’s external balance sheet may have improved sig- a veto. elevated to ministerial level in nicantly since the infamous taper tantrum of 2013, n history, dening moments like Since 1988, India has followed a 2014. Japanese participation in the Ibut there are now signs that warrant more caution 9/11 that can be identied as consistent China policy based on Malabar exercises, suspended be- from policymakers. Last week, the current account de- Imarkers of change are rare. putting aside the boundary dispute cause of Chinese protests, was re- cit (CAD) widened to a four-year high of $14.3 billion in More often, there are trend lines of and developing other aspects of stored in 2015. Once the agreement the rst quarter of the current nancial year, standing slow-moving geopolitical changes the relationship in the expectation for the 12 US-2i aircraft is con- at 2.4% of gross domestic product, compared to 0.1% which come together at a particu- that this would create mutual trust cluded with a follow-up acquisition lar moment in time resulting in an and enable a boundary settlement. as part of Make in India, the stra- last year. The widening CAD was driven by a greater in- inexion point. Reading the tea However, the gap between India tegic relationship will begin to ac- crease in merchandise imports than exports. A strong leaves indicates that 2017 may well and China has grown, both in eco- quire critical mass. capital account surplus, however, has helped the coun- be the year which marked the re- nomic and military terms, and However the strategic partner- try pay for its import bills without much trouble. For- ordering of the Asian strategic with it has emerged a more assert- ship needs stronger economic ties.
eign investors starved of yield have been stepping up landscape. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO ive China. The shared vision of an Today, India-Japan trade lan- their investments in India, which remains one of the China is the predominant power benets of the U.S. security um- Asian century with a rising India guishes at around $15 billion, a few places oering higher yields. Compared to last year, Two trend lines and must be treated as such. brella on the cheap. and rising China is long past. Mr. quarter of trade with China while The two slow moving trend lines Even though China has been a Recent nuclear and long-range Modi’s personal diplomacy with Japan-China trade is around $300 net FDI almost doubled to $7.2 billion in the rst clearly discernible since the Cold beneciary of the U.S.-led global missile tests by North Korea have Mr. Xi has had little inuence on billion. Therefore, the primary fo- quarter, while net portfolio investment jumped about War ended a quarter century ago order, it is impatient that it does added to South Korean and Japan- changing Chinese attitudes or be- cus during the recent visit has been six times to $12.5 billion. The strong inow of foreign are the shift of the geopolitical not enjoy a position that it feels it ese anxieties. Japan has been par- haviour. After Doklam, there is - on economic aspects. The Mum- capital has also led to a signicant increase in foreign re- centre of gravity from the Euro-At- deserves, especially in the Bretton ticularly rattled by the two missiles nally a consensus that the old bai-Ahmedabad high speed rail serve holdings, thanks to the Reserve Bank of India lantic to the Indo-Pacic region Woods institutions. During the last red across Hokkaido. Given the China policy does not serve our na- corridor is more than symbolism, which has been busy buying dollars to weaken the ru- and the rise of China. The U.S. ‘re- ve years, it has set about creating U.S. push for more sanctions that tional interests and a review is long in demonstrating that high-cost Ja- pee. Forex reserves were at an all-time high of $400.7 balancing’ announced in 2011 was a new set of institutions (the Asian depend on China for implementa- overdue. panese technology is viable in de- a belated recognition of these Infrastructure Investment Bank tion, most Japanese reluctantly ad- veloping countries and that India billion for the week ending September 8, while the ru- changes, driven home by the im- and the New Development Bank) mit that North Korea’s nuclear and A new strategic landscape has the absorption capacity to pee has appreciated by over 6% against the dollar this pact of the 2008 nancial crisis. and launched the Belt and Road missile capability is unlikely to be It is against this backdrop that Ja- master it. Completing it in ve year. Low global oil prices over the last two years have Most of the rivalries are being Initiative (BRI) to create a new trad- dismantled any time soon. panese Prime Minister Shinzō years is a management challenge also helped contain a good portion of its import bills. played out in the crowded geopolit- ing infrastructure that reects Chi- Another signicant develop- Abe’s visit to India took place last but the bigger challenge will be to All this might change with the impending tightening ical space of the Indo-Pacic, and na’s centrality as the largest trad- ment was the Doklam stand-o week. The contours of a new rela- transfer the know-how of best of monetary policy by the U.S. Federal Reserve and Asian economies now account for ing nation. between India and China that las- tionship were dened during Mr. practices to other sectors of the other central banks. After all, emerging Asian markets more than half of global GDP and The BRI is also complemented ted from June to August. The Abe’s earlier tenure, in 2006-07, economy. becoming larger in coming years. by a growing Chinese naval pres- Chinese playbook followed the es- when annual summits were intro- Another major initiative is the have been the biggest beneciaries of loose monetary China’s rise is reected in a ence in the Indian Ocean. Begin- tablished pattern — creating a phys- duced, the relationship became a recently launched Asia-Africa policy in the West, so any change in stance would most more assertive China. According to ning in 2009, the PLA Navy started ical presence followed by ‘Special Strategic and Global Part- Growth Corridor to build con- denitely aect them. Indian companies, for instance, President Xi Jinping’s ‘two guides’ rotating three ship task forces sharpened rhetoric, together be- nership’, Japan was invited to join nectivity for which Japan has com- have aggressively tapped into the market for rupee-de- policy announced in February, through the Indian Ocean as part coming an exercise in coercive dip- in the Malabar naval exercises and mitted $30 billion and India $10 bil- nominated foreign debt, which can work against them China should guide ‘the shaping of of the anti-piracy task force o the lomacy. This worked in pushing a Joint Declaration on Security Co- lion. This adds a critical dimension if the ow of foreign capital turns volatile. The RBI has the new world order’ and safe- Somalia coast. Visits by nuclear at- the nine-dash line in the South operation was concluded. Since to the ‘global partnership’ between been regulating the amount and quality of such borrow- guarding ‘international security’. tack submarines to littoral ports China Sea with the Philippines and then, signicant content has been the two countries. However, to Much has changed during the last began to take place. In addition to Vietnam even as China built addi- added. make this productive, India needs ings, so it may seem like things are under control for quarter century when Deng Xiaop- Gwadar, China is now converting tional facilities on reclaimed land A singular achievement was the to change its style of implementing now. Further, India’s total external debt declined by ing advised China ‘to observe the supply facility at Djibouti into a in the area. India, however, chose conclusion of the agreement for projects abroad, most of which 2.7% during the nancial year 2016-17, standing at calmly, secure its position, hide its full-edged military base. to block China and a few hundred Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses have been plagued by cost and $471.9 billion, driven by a fall in external commercial capability, bide its time and not soldiers on the plateau maintained of Nuclear Energy last year. Under time over-runs. borrowings and deposits by non-resident Indians. The claim leadership’. Accelerating the trends their hostile postures even as negotiation for ve years, this was Ensuring eective implementa- World Bank, in fact, has said that India’s external dy- Today’s China is not just willing Recent developments have accel- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a sensitive issue for Japan given the tion and setting up mechanisms for but eager to assume leadership and erated these geopolitical trends. President Xi attended the the G-20 widespread anti-nuclear senti- delivery will align Mr. Modi’s Act namics remain very favourable given the size of its eco- expects other countries to yield The rst was the outcome of the summit in July amidst heightened ment (though Japan enjoys the U.S. East policy with Mr. Abe’s Free and nomy and foreign reserve holdings. But a prolonged space. China has suggested ‘a new U.S. elections last year. By invoking rhetoric recalling the 1962 war. nuclear umbrella) and (misplaced) Open Indo-Pacic Strategy. This period of unfavourable trade balance when combined type of great power relations’ to ‘America rst’ repeatedly, Presid- Dierences with China did not faith in the Nuclear Non-Prolifera- alignment sets the stage for the re- with volatile international capital ows can lead to un- the U.S. Its assertiveness in the East ent Donald Trump has made it begin with Doklam. It was pre- tion Treaty; it would not have gone ordering of the Asian strategic savoury macroeconomic situations. According to a re- China Sea with Japan and in the clear that the U.S. considers the ceded by the stapled visa issue for through but for Mr. Abe’s personal landscape. port by India Ratings & Research earlier this year, a 10% South China Sea with its Associ- burden of leading the global order Indians belonging to Arunachal commitment. ation of Southeast Asian Nations too onerous. American allies, par- Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, To deepen strategic understand- depreciation of the rupee combined with a 50 basis Rakesh Sood is a former diplomat and (ASEAN) neighbours sends a signal ticularly in the Asia-Pacic, are growing incidents of incursions ing, the two sides initiated a 2+2 point interest rate hike can severely aect most Indian currently Distinguished Fellow at the that while multipolarity may be de- nervous about Mr. Trump’s har- along the disputed boundary, Dialogue involving the Foreign and borrowers. It added that as much as 65% of foreign debt Observer Research Foundation. E-mail: sirable in a global order, in Asia, angues that they are enjoying the blocking of India’s bid to join the Defence Ministries in 2010. A [email protected] exposure of Indian companies may be unhedged. As the world looks to withdraw from an era of historically low interest rates, it would be wise for India’s policy- makers to be ready with an emergency plan to tackle a Irrationalism in city planning period of signicant volatility. It is better to go back to the drawing board in designing Amaravati Tara Murali ates were declared as winners of an and culture for their lms and their city planning issues sensitively. As Confrontational path ndhra Pradesh Chief Minis- invited competition for the Amara- inputs were likely to be of enorm- architect A. Srivathsan has written Bangladesh’s legislature draws ter N. Chandrababu Naidu vati capital complex. The competi- ous value in giving a native touch to in The Wire, “What is of concern the battle lines against the judiciary Ahas reportedly sought fur- tion was adjudged by a jury of pro- the design. There were indications are the frequent and opaque ther improvements to the design fessionals but the jury’s report on that the powers that be wanted changes, the lack of professional- angladesh’s Parliament raised the stakes in a by the international architectural shortcomings or strengths of the Amaravati to be modelled on the ism and accountability. The real stand-o against the judiciary last week by rm Foster + Partners for the Am- winning design has not been made lines of the fantasy city portrayed danger in the Amaravati story is Bpassing a unanimous resolution to take “proper aravati start-up area. It is further public. in the lm Baahubali. that a serious, positive planning reported that he has suggested cer- When the design itself was made The city of the lm is neither process has been turned into a legal steps” over a Supreme Court verdict nullifying the tain changes and favoured the dir- public, it was harshly criticised on contemporary nor ahead of its ight of whimsy and that public Constitution’s 16th amendment. The amendment, ect interaction of the architects several counts — that it was similar time. It has been set in an ancient projects remain captive to state passed in 2014, had empowered Parliament to remove with lm director S.S. Rajamouli to to the public buildings at Chand- kingdom, the form of which is, at caprice.” judges of the Supreme Court found incompetent or seek his inputs to give nishing igarh; it was too futuristic; it did best, drawn from mythological It is hardly surprising that things guilty of misconduct, based on a two-thirds majority. touches to the plans. not display any Indian character- stories and depicted in children’s have come to a head again. This un- This amendment had in a way restored the power of No explanation is to be found of istics, etc. Maki and Associates comic books. There is no authentic scientic and irrational approach Parliament to impeach judges and was in line with the the suggested “certain changes” or claim they had made extensive representation of such cities to use to city planning and architecture “nishing touches”. design changes to meet the new de- as a reference. displays the extent to which the original Constitution of 1972. The Supreme Court had in There are two issues in the Am- mands, but in spite of that, the gov- Amaravati itself had earlier been malaise has spread. Public money July this year scrapped the amendment, suggesting that aravati city project — one of profes- ernment decided to reopen the criticised as an ‘ultra-mega-world- is being wasted on political hubris
it was antithetical to the independence of the judiciary sional integrity and the other of competition and remove the rm GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO class-city’ that was being rushed and nonsensical notions of public and restored the Supreme Judicial Council, headed by public interest. Both are import- from the project. Complaining to Maki’s complaint is not known. through by destroying thousands architecture. the Chief Justice, with powers to remove errant judges. ant, and the reason that they are in- the Council of Architecture (CoA) of acres of prime farm and forest It is time that all right-thinking The Parliament, dominated by the Awami League, not terlinked in this article is that the in December 2016, the principal ar- The ‘Baahubali’ factor land. Proper environmental im- citizens, especially professionals, only resolved to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision, lack of the former has made pos- chitect of the rm, Fumihiko Maki, In December, the State appointed pact assessment had not been condemn this situation and de- sible irresponsible and improper a Pritzker Architecture Prize win- the U.K.-based Foster + Partners done, and the Prime Minister was mand a more rational, transpar- but also found fault with Chief Justice S.K. Sinha’s com- administrative action of major ner, questioned the motivations of along with Hafeez Contractor as criticised for participating in the ent, open and fair process in the ments in this regard. He had said that the Constitution public expense and serious the Andhra Pradesh government the new architects for the project. foundation stone-laying event. design and construction. It is bet- was a product of the collective will of the people and not consequence. committee, alleging unfair prac- At the same time, it announced The State has consistently dis- ter to go back to the drawing board just one individual, which was interpreted as an aront tice, a lack of transparency and his that the project would be assisted regarded criticism of its fair ap- now than to suer the impact of to “Bangabandhu”, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, by the rul- Many changes rm’s ‘fraudulent’ removal from by three lm and art directors of In- proach regarding architectural senseless design later. ing Awami League. The largest party in opposition, the To summarise the murky happen- the project. dian cinema. The reason was that design consultancy and also to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, is not represented in Par- ings of the Amaravati city project: Whether the CoA has recog- the three had done extensive re- conditions imposed on architects In March 2016, Maki and Associ- nised and taken any action on Mr. search on history, architecture, that make a mockery of evaluating Tara Murali is an architect liament as it had boycotted the elections held in 2014. The BNP had welcomed the Supreme Court decision LETTERS TO THE EDITOR but its position seemed to be guided more by schaden- Letters emailed to [email protected] must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials. freude and less by a clear-cut position on the judiciary’s I independence. Bridges with Tokyo The hero of 1965 policies and their Ramachandran, M. The political confusion in the uncharted territory. His The animus between Japan In the passing of Marshal of justications, especially in Karunanidhi and Tamil Nadu seems to be declaration that his party It is dicult for the polarised polity in Bangladesh to and China is centuries old as the Indian Air Force Arjan respect of those imposing a Jayalalithaa cannot be fully spurring those watching would be funded by the debate any issue without political overtones, let alone opposed to our misgivings Singh, India has lost an higher tax burden on the attributed to their from the sidelines to jump poor sounds immature as one that pertains to separation of powers between the over China built over just 50 eminent war hero who people, need to be carried association with the tinsel into the fray. Forming a new that betrays his order of judiciary and legislature. The Supreme Court’s conten- years. To that extent Japan played a determining role in out in a nuanced and world. Their allegiance to party is an option for Mr. priorities. His celluloid roles tion is that Bangladesh’s political system is unlike the has a far greater stake in the 1965 war. He was the sensitive manner. If taxes the Dravidian movement Haasan, but there are seem to cast their spell on parliamentary systems in the United Kingdom and In- relations with India. The embodiment of dedication, and levies can be arbitrarily and its ideology, coupled bound to be many hurdles. his political ambitions if his dia, for example, where legislators are empowered to pact on the bullet train is professionalism and hiked to exploit a captive with a direct connect with He has a fan following one-liners, quips, retorts sizeable in value and Japan commitment. His demise market such as that for the masses at the grass-root which can be expected to and taunts to questions impeach judges. Bangladeshi MPs do not have the free- would only be too happy to leaves a void that cannot be petroleum products, it not level, played a pivotal role in work hard for him in an posed by the media are any dom to vote on conscience on issues including im- ll up its manufacturing lled, for Arjan Singh was only makes the government their emergence as forces to election. Though he is a indication. peachment, bound as they are by Article 70 that pre- ledgers, thinned by over sui generis. guilty of monopolistic reckon with. fabulous actor, he will have No doubt he needs to be vents legislators from voting against their party’s two decades of economic Niranjan Sahoo, behaviour but also Now that actor Kamal to work on his image, given time and space to decision on any matter. This prevents a dispassionate slack. The agreement could Bhubaneswar undercuts the principle of Haasan has evinced greater especially among the adjust himself to the deliberation over any prospective impeachment, giving well have come through last taxation with interest in joining politics, educated middle class. The demands of his new role, political parties, and those in the executive undue inu- year itself, but the timing Justifying the hike representation as the price one cannot say with Congress has been surviving but new entrants should be seems to have been dictated Union Tourism Minister revisions do not have certainty that people will by joining hands with one smart enough to remember ence over appointments in the judiciary. Instead of tak- by the Gujarat elections. Alphons Kannanthanam has Parliament’s approval. back him and ensure his Kazhagam or the other. As the wise counsel of the ing a course of confrontation against the judiciary, Perhaps the Doklam stand- stirred up a hornet’s nest V.N. Mukundarajan, success in politics. His the old guard has rested its DMK’s patriarch that all the Bangladesh’s parliamentarians and its attorney general o had as much to with his blunt assertion that Thiruvananthapuram criticism of the ruling party oars, this party oers him cheers and applause one would be better o proceeding with a review petition to contribute to this. The train vehicle owners are not so may not have gone down an opportunity to take gets in a meeting may be the Supreme Court and presenting their position dis- project is but a prologue to poor that they should be Sounding the bugle well with the people as well. control of it. He should deceptive as none can gauge passionately. The Supreme Judicial Council might have greater India-Japan complaining about the Tamil Nadu is among the Unlike cinema, electoral therefore join the party and how many hands that clap had a legacy connecting it to the country’s authorit- collaboration that would increase in fuel prices. To few States in the country politics is a dierent game launch his bid from here. during a speech would test our mettle to keep the be fair, his statement, where lm actors never shy altogether where muscle S. Rajagopalan, actually vote for the party arian past, but the arguments of the Supreme Court political overtones with notwithstanding its away from plunging into the and money have to be taken Chennai that the speaker campaigns that it is seeking to protect judicial independence from reference to China to the underlying political world of politics in the hope into account (“I have for. the executive in light of other laws that bind legislative bare minimum and focus on incorrectness and apparent of becoming Chief Minister arrived in politics”, says I Kamal Haasan has set the Sivamani Vasudevan, work in Bangladesh need to be contested by the govern- bilateral economic ties. insensitivity, is not entirely of the State one day. Kamal”, September 16). sails of his political boat and Chennai ment point by point — not by a mere resolution. R. Narayanan, untrue. However, the successes M. Jeyaram, it is premature to guess how more letters online: Ghaziabad However, the articulation of scripted by M.G. Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu his vessel would weather www.hindu.com/opinion/letters/
CM A CH-CHE YK